How Doping Changed the Olympics’ Message

I remember being taught in Grade school that the Olympic motto was Citius, Altius, Fortius, which is Latin for Faster, Higher, Stronger. It’s a great phrase, signifying man’s struggle to push beyond his limitations.

Then, in 2000, we started hearing less of the motto and more of the IOC’s new advertising campaign: Celebrate Humanity. There was nothing wrong with Faster, Higher, Stronger. But apparently, with all the doping going on, many athletes took it literally, justifying the use of performance-enhancers as a part of winning at any cost.

And that’s why the Celebrate Humanity campaign is a huge success. It refocused the Olympic message, reminding people that the Games aren’t solely about scoring the lowest time, reaching the highest marks, and lifting the heaviest weights, regardless of how you do it. It’s also about true competition, about earning real victories that only competing on your merits brings.

In other words, to quote a tired cliché, it’s not about winning, but taking your best shot.